B.C. casino accused of illegal activity follows rules: operator

The head of a company that runs the River Rock Casino in Richmond alleged to have taken in millions that could be proceeds of crime says procedures to ensure compliance with regulations are strictly followed.

Rod N. Baker says the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has a culture of integrity and transparency and is committed to preventing illegal activities at all of its locations.

Last month, the B.C. government announced an independent expert’s review of the province’s policies in the gambling industry after concerns about money laundering at River Rock.

Attorney General David Eby says he launched the probe after reading a report about the casino accepting $13.5 million in $20 bills in July 2015 that police said could be proceeds of crime involving Asian VIP clients.

Baker says Great Canadian initially detected suspicious activity at the casino in 2012 and that its ongoing monitoring and reporting to the B.C. Lottery Corp. was crucial to identifying the individuals allegedly involved.

He says the company provides records about unusual and large cash transactions directly to the lottery corporation, which assesses whether the transactions raise enough concern for further investigation.